The president of the Medef (French employers' association) calls for the multiplication of EU commercial destinations

The Medef is "almost more concerned about our relationship with China, which dumps its production surpluses on the rest of the world, than about our relationship with the United States" and Donald Trump's threats of tariff increases, Mr. Martin explained before the Senate Economic Affairs Committee.

He stressed the need to "take a very proactive interest in other destinations."

"Experience shows that the Ceta treaty (between Canada and the EU, editor's note) is extremely favorable, including for our agriculture if we consider all agricultural sectors combined," assured Mr. Martin.

And, according to him, the EU-Mercosur treaty (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay in particular) "is now absolutely essential."

"The unique position expressed by France will not prevent the signature," even if certain mirror clauses "obviously" need to be revised, according to him.

"It has escaped no one's notice that the Chinese are in the process of putting Latin America under strict control, and once the Chinese are gone, it is very difficult to recover," warned the president of the Medef (French employers' association).

He indicated that the latter is also "very supportive of the negotiations initiated with countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and India."

For him, there is an "absolute urgency, both for reasons of sovereignty and economic and social performance, (so that) we are much more determined to develop these free trade agreements."

He also identified some positive economic signals in a landscape that he stressed remains unstable, marked by sluggish growth and a downturn in the job market.

He emphasized that the social climate in private companies was "relatively calm." He also counts on the projects of the new German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, whose "dynamics" he believes will benefit France.

The ECB's continued decline in interest rates over the past year is also positive, contributing to the "re-increase" in existing property transactions and the rise, even if "extremely timid," in building permit applications, he noted.

Mr. Martin finally noted that "current consumption, and in particular food, has stopped falling."